Toronto Raptors internal power rankings: Which player owned November?

Picking the five best Raptors from a month marked by injury and resilience.

The Toronto Raptors have completed their first full month of the 2022–23 campaign, and — all things considered — it went pretty well for them.

Injuries were unfortunately the main storyline in November with key players like Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, Scottie Barnes, Precious Achiuwa, Otto Porter Jr., and more missing time.

Despite all that, thought, Toronto finds itself above .500 — right in the middle of the Eastern Conference playoff picture. And now, with the injury bug behind them for the moment and a foundation of being an excellent home squad, there’s plenty to be hopeful for in Raptors land.

But before we get too far ahead, let’s take a look back at the players who got them through those short-staffed November days. Here’s a ranking of the team’s five biggest contributors over the past month.

1) O.G. Anunoby

November games: 14
Key stats: 21.2 PTS/G, 5.7 REB/G, 2.1 STL/G

A player whose career has mostly been defined by either unfortunate circumstances in his personal life or bad injury luck that’s forced him to miss plenty of time (the most games he’s played in a season to date was 74 in his 2017–18 rookie year), Anunoby has been the Raptors’ paragon of consistency — both in terms of his availability and quality of play.

The sixth-year man looks like he could be a first-time all-star having played all 21 Raptors games so far, averaging a career-best 18.7 points and 5.9 rebounds per game and leading the league in total steals with 48, good for 2.3 per contest.

With his length, athleticism, and remarkable strength, Anunoby’s always had the potential to be someone who can guard the opposing team’s best player and be an impact scorer on the other end. He’s doing that this season.

Even as his teammates have been forced to sit out around him, he’s been a pillar head coach Nick Nurse can turn to at all times on both ends of the floor.

OG Anunoby over Kevin Durant 😤 pic.twitter.com/tyKnz5lgUP

— NBA TV (@NBATV) November 24, 2022

2) Pascal Siakam

November games: 4
Key stats: 20.3 PTS/G, 8.5 REB/G, 6.5 AST/G

If not for the fact he missed 10 November games with an unfortunate groin injury, Siakam would be an easy No. 1 on the power rankings here.

Consider this — there are only three players in the league who lead their teams in points per game, rebounds per game, and assists per game. Two-time defending MVP Nikola Jokic and one of this season’s MVP frontrunners Luka Doncic are two of them, and Siakam is the other.

That’s elite company to be in and gives credence to his stated desire about wanting to be a top-five player in the NBA. Siakam’s not only talked the talk — he’s walked the walk.

And in good news for the Raptors, he recently returned from his injury and looked every bit the same kind of dominant force he was through the first nine games of the season — averaging 20.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 4.5 assists with a steal and a block in the two games since he returned.

3) Fred VanVleet

November games: 9
Key stats: 20.3 PTS/G, 5.9 AST/G, 3.6 3PT/G

VanVleet has missed some time here and there, but for the most part he’s been as steady for the club as his nickname would indicate.

Steady Freddy hasn’t been quite as productive as he was during his all-star 2021–22 campaign, but he’s still taking and making a high volume of three-pointers, playing strong defence, and maintaining his role as the team’s vocal leader.

One area of concern, however, is the number of minutes VanVleet continues to rack up. He’s averaging 36.1 minutes per game this season — slightly down from the 37.9 he averaged last year — as a consistent backup option has yet to present itself.

That amount of burn is likely to leave him depleted come playoff time — a big concern for a team with major post-season aspirations.

4) Chris Boucher

November games: 13
Key stats: 12.5 PTS/G, 7.4 REB/G, 0.7 BLK/G

Often criticized throughout his career for inconsistent play and intensity — especially on the defensive end if his shot wasn’t falling — Boucher’s brought it this season as the Raptors’ best bench weapon.

The soon-to-be-30-year-old has appeared to figure out exactly what Nurse and the Raptors coaching staff want from him at all times, and is playing some of the best basketball of his career as a result.

For Boucher, the key tasks are providing energy defensively as a rim protector and shot contester while filling a role as a rim runner and pick-and-pop threat on offence. With increased scoring and rebounding in November, he has been a spark for what was looking like a thin Toronto bench at the start of the season.

.@chrisboucher putting in the work 😤

10 PTS | 6 REB pic.twitter.com/Yj4cd9ohPZ

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) November 26, 2022

5) Thaddeus Young

November games: 14
Key stats: 6.7 PTS/G, 5.0 REB/G, 2.5 AST/G

Though his numbers won’t really stand out, Young has been an integral part of the Raptors’ success thus far. He’s been equally effective on the second unit and as a spot starter.

Coming over in a deadline deal last season, it’s clear Young is much more comfortable with the Raptors this season and the same can be said of the coaching staff with him.

Toronto features a young roster, which can be both a blessing and a curse. As such, having a veteran like Young around in the locker room and on the floor has provided a much-needed calming influence — especially with its secondary and tertiary lineups replete with younger players.

Through the injuries the Raptors have sustained, it’s not an exaggeration to say that Young’s presence has helped the team stem the tide.

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